1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to upgrading potable water wells and more particularly to converting xe2x80x98below-groundxe2x80x99 pump installations to xe2x80x98above-groundxe2x80x99 installations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Potable water wells have become the focus of the public""s attention in Canada over the past year as a result of the tragedy in Walkerton, Ontario in the spring of 2000. The Provincial Government of Ontario has regulations to ensure the public has access to clean drinking water. There have been similar events over the past several years which have made this an important public policy issue across North America.
Clean drinking water comes from a number of sources, including drilled wells. For many years, the drilled well has been installed xe2x80x9cbelow-groundxe2x80x9d. Not to be confused with the below ground source of water itself, the term xe2x80x9cbelow-groundxe2x80x9d herein below is intended to refer to those installations where the well casing has an upper end which itself is below the ground surface, for example four to six feet below the ground surface. The well casing is usually located in a well chamber which can be, for example, a cement casing or a corrugated steel casing, either of a size sufficient to allow a well installer to join the pump line to a water supply line above the surface of the well casing but which is below the surface of the ground. This below-ground configuration is commonly used in northern climates where pump lines are located a sufficient depth below the ground surface to protect them from freezing.
Though sufficient under earlier regulations, this below ground installation arrangement has not met government regulations for some time. It is common to adapt these below ground well installations to an xe2x80x9cabove-groundxe2x80x9d version, using a generally unsatisfactory technique. It requires that an installer climb down into the typically cramped well chamber and first disassemble the well pump line from the water supply line. The installer must then weld a well casing extension onto the upper exposed end of the well casing with an arc welder. The well casing upper end is often rough or poorly cut to begin with, often requiring a grinding step. It is difficult, if not impossible, to form a tight joint between the well casing upper end and the well casing extension. This increases the risk that the weld seam is not water tight and raises the risk that ground water outside the well casing may enter through the seam causing contamination.
A hole is then formed in the welded casing to accommodate a xe2x80x9cpitlessxe2x80x9d adaptor. The pitless adaptor is a commonly used pump line adaptor that is commercially available through Canadian Plumbing and Pump dealers. Often, the pitless adaptor hole is simply cut with a cutting torch, similarly making it different form a tight seal, thereby presenting a similar risk of unwanted exterior ground water through the poor seal into the well casing.
Furthermore, the welding operation is very dangerous. The installer is usually squeezed into the cramped space with an arc welder. The well chamber is either damp or wet, significantly increasing the risk if electrocution. The welding operation can therefore involve extended periods in a confined space with relatively poor air quality. Once this relatively difficult and dangerous procedure is completed, the well chamber is then filled in and the above-ground exposed end of the well casing extension is capped in a normal fashion.
Consequently, there remains the need for an improved method for converting xe2x80x9cbelow-groundxe2x80x9d well installations to xe2x80x9cabove-groundxe2x80x9d installations. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method for doing so.
In one of its aspects, the present invention provides a coupling device for converting a below-ground potable water well installation to an above-ground installation, the device comprising;
a housing having a first end region to engage an upper end of a below-ground well casing and a second end region to engage a lower end of a well casing extension;
gasket means located adjacent the first and second openings for sealing the respective connections between the housing, the below-ground well casing and the well casing extension; and
a central region including a passage to receive a well line adaptor there between.
Preferably, the gasket means further comprising a first seating surface to seat the upper end of the well casing and a second seating surface to seat the lower end of the well casing extension
In one embodiment, the first end region includes a first opening which is dimensioned to receive the upper end of the below-ground well casing and the second end region has an opening which is dimensioned to receive the lower end of the well casing extension.
In another embodiment, the first end region is arranged to extend into the upper end of the below-ground well casing and the second end region has an opening which is dimensioned to receive the lower end of the well casing extension.
In still another embodiment, the first and second end regions are arranged to extend into both the upper end of the below-ground well casing and the lower end of the well casing extension.
In one embodiment, the passage is between the first and second seating surfaces.
Preferably, the gasket means includes a passage which is aligned with the passage in the housing to receive the well line adaptor. The gasket means includes a gasket sleeve which extends from a region near the first end to a region near the second end. The gasket sleeve may or may not be a one piece member.
Preferably, the housing includes a gasket receiving region and a plurality of locating formations to locate the gasket sleeve therein. More preferably, the housing includes a gasket receiving chamber of an increased diameter relative to the diameters of the first and second openings.
In one embodiment, the housing is formed from a one piece member which has an expanded central portion with a diameter sufficient to accommodate the lower and upper ends together with the gasket member there between. The upper and lower regions also include annular surfaces which are separated by a distance sufficient for the gasket sleeve to fit there between.
The gasket, in the preferred embodiment, further includes a first inner surface region which is radially inwardly tapered from first the opening toward the first seating surface and a second inner surface region which is radially inwardly tapered from the second opening toward the second seating surface and a pair cylindrical seating regions, each of which neighbouring a corresponding seating surface.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for converting a below-ground potable water well installation to an above-ground installation, the below-ground installation being of the type having a well casing with an upper end positioned below the ground surface and located within a well chamber, comprising the steps of:
a) accessing the well chamber and opening the upper end of the well casing;
b) accessing a well pump line in the well casing which is connected, by a fluid joint, with a water supply line extending into the pump chamber and joined with the well chamber from a neighbouring water delivery location;
c) disconnecting the joint and isolating the well pump line;
d) providing a coupling member, having:
a housing having a first opening to receive the upper end and a second opening to receive a lower end of a well casing extension;
a gasket arrangement for sealing the connection between the housing and the upper end and the connection between the housing and the lower end;
a first seating surface to seat the upper end and a second seating surface to seat the lower end; and a passage to receive a well line adaptor there between, the seating surfaces between separated by a predetermined spacing;
e) preparing the upper end for engagement with the coupling member;
f) orienting the first opening of the coupling member to a position adjacent the upper end and positioning the housing on the upper end to bring the upper end against the first seating surface;
g) installing a pump line adaptor through a passage formed in the coupling member;
h) installing the water supply line to the pump line adaptor;
i) selecting a well casing extension member of a length which, when added to the predetermined spacing between the seating surfaces in the coupling member, will extend above the ground surface;
j) orienting the lower end of the well casing extension adjacent the second opening and positioning the lower end in the second opening to bring the lower end against the second seating surface;
k) filling the well chamber with a suitable filling material around the coupling and the well casing extension member; and
l) installing the well pump line to the well pipe adaptor.
Preferably, step c) includes the step of pulling the well pump line and the pump from the well casing.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a potable water well installation, comprising a below-ground well casing member, an above-ground well casing extension member and a well pipe extension coupler joining them, the coupler having a pair of opposed openings to receive respective adjacent ends of the well casing and well casing extension members, the coupler further comprising a passage and a well pipe adaptor extending through the passage, the adaptor having an upstream end in fluid communication with a down well pump and a downstream end in fluid communication with a water supply pipe.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coupling device for converting a below-ground potable water well installation to an above-ground installation, the device comprising a housing having a pair of openings, one to receive a below-ground well casing and another to receive a lower end of a well casing extension; the housing having an outer wall with an expanded central region to provide the central region with a diameter which is larger than the diameters of each of said openings, the central region being bordered by a pair of annular abutments between which is located a one piece gasket sleeve, the gasket sleeve having an inner passage which is coaxial with the pair of openings and which is arranged to seal each end of the well casing end with the well casing extension, the inner passage of gasket sleeve having a pair of annular seating surfaces to locate each of the two ends in their fully engaged positions within the gasket sleeve, the annular seating surfaces being separated by a central region, a passage through the gasket in the central region and the outer wall of the housing to receive a well pipe connection adaptor therein, the inner passage having pair of tapered portions, each of which is tapered inwardly from each opening toward each seating surfaces and a pair of second non-tapered portions, each of the second non-tapered portions being located between a first portion and a seating surface.
In still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of converting a below-ground potable water well installation to an above-ground installation, the method comprising;
a step for providing housing having a first opening which is dimensioned to receive an upper end of a below-ground well casing and a second opening which is dimensioned to receive a lower end of a well casing extension;
a step for installing a gasket adjacent the first and second openings for sealing the respective connections between the housing, the below-ground well casing and the well casing extension, so that the gasket has a first seating surface to seat the upper end of the well casing and a second seating surface to seat the lower end of the well casing extension;
a step for providing the gasket with a central region containing a passage to receive a well line adaptor there between;
a step for positioning the first opening on the upper end;
a step for locating the lower end of extension member in the second end;
a step for bringing the upper end and the coupling member, and the lower end and the coupling member into a sealed engagement; and
a step for installing the well line adaptor.
In yet another of its aspects, there is provided a method of converting a below-ground water well installation to an above-ground installation, the below-ground installation being of the type having a well casing with an upper end positioned below the ground surface and located within a well chamber, comprising the steps of;
exposing the upper end of the well casing;
isolating a pump conduit from the well casing;
locating a well casing extension;
providing a housing having a first end region which is arranged to engage an upper end of the well casing and a second opening which is arranged to engage the well casing extension, and one or more sealing members for sealing the respective connections between the housing, the below-ground well casing and the well casing extension; and a central region including a passage to receive a well line adaptor there between, and;
joining the upper end of the well casing and the well casing extension with the housing.